AU: Infinite Possibilities
by WayWardWonderer
Summary: A theory as to how the Avengers who fell at the hands of Thanos could potentially reunite and return to the Earth to continue the fight against the mad tyrant.


Doctor Stephen Strange felt himself drifting aimlessly through an eternal void as a sense of nothingness surrounded him. The last images in his mind were that of Thanos easily defeating the team of heroes who had sought to end his reign of terror on the planet Titan, seeing Thanos stab Tony Stark through his abdomen with a sword and of Thanos taking the Time Stone from Stephen himself.

Five Infinity Stones had been collected by Thanos, and the sixth was just waiting for him on Earth.

It didn't take long for the team on Titan to learn of Thanos' success in gathering all of the Infinity Stones as a strange energy echoed through the universe with an ominous wave. One by one innocent people throughout the universe began to disappear as their bodies turned to ash, including Stephen himself.

Opening his eyes Stephen found himself adrift in a plane on non-existence. A place that resides between all other dimensions and universes. A place where those who are truly case out join together in search of belonging.

Being the 'Master of the Mystic Arts' had given Stephen confidence of mind to remain calm and keep his thoughts focused on his own current (lack of) place in the universe.

Looking down he saw what appeared to be a barren moon drifting through the eternal cosmos. Above clouds of multicolored cosmic dust swirled about in a majestic ballet as long dead stars gave off the last of their dying light upon the surface of the lifeless moon below.

Stephen, still bearing the marks of battle on his face and hands, set foot on the moon and looked about the stars for any sign of any other lost being cast into the nothingness alongside him.

"Hello?" He called out loudly, his voice unable to echo through the void. "Is anyone there?"

"Dr. Strange?" A young male voice replied as he crossed over the crater marred surface of the moon. "Oh man, I thought I was alone! Are we... dead?"

"Peter." Stephen was genuinely relieved to see the young man, but at the same time heartbroken knowing that he had been condemned to this plane as well. "I'm certain we're all alive, just misplaced. Is anyone else here?"

"Misplaced? Weird. Uh..." Peter Parker stammered as he stood beside Stephen and looked around nervously. "I don't know. I woke up somewhere over there and started walking when I heard you. Sorry."

"It's okay." Stephen remarked calmly. "I'm sure if there is anyone else around they'll find us soon."

A feminine voice with an accent called out to the two men. "Hello? Who is there?"

"See?" Stephen nodded to Peter before responding to the woman's question. "Friends." Stephen replied sincerely. "We're from Earth."

"So am I." Wanda Maximoff confirmed as she walked over to her new allies. "My name is Wanda. I was part of the Avengers."

"Me too!" Peter beamed proudly. "Well, sort of. Mr. Stark only recently made me a member of the tea, and now I'm here, but... yeah. I'm Peter by the way!" He motioned to Stephen behind him with a thumb over the shoulder. "This is Dr. Stephen Strange."

"You, I remember." Wanda pointed to Peter but then looked to Stephen. "You I do not know."

"It's okay." Stephen didn't mind the lack of familiarity. "Are you alone Wanda?"

"I... I don't know. Is there anyone else with you?"

"Not that I know of."

The sound of rushing footsteps caught everyone's attention as the uneven terrain of the moon crunched beneath heavy boots. "Hey! Wanda!"

"Sam!" Wanda recognized the voice of Sam Wilson. "You are here, too?"

"Yeah," Sam confirmed as he joined the gathered trio. "wherever 'here' is. Are you hurt?"

"Just my broken heart."

"I'm sorry." He put his hand to her shoulder. "I know how much Vision meant to you. And he was crazy about you, too."

"Thank you, Sam."

Peter looked to Stephen and whispered to him discreetly. "Vision? Did he die?"

Stephen shook his head quietly to signal Peter to not talk about it.

"HEY." Another voice called out from the top of a tall crate that overlooked the gathered group below. "You guys are here, too?"

Stephen and Peter looked up and recognized Peter 'StarLord' Quill standing high up with Drax the Destroyer, Mantis and some tree like being behind him.

"Down here." Stephen called to the Guardians of the Galaxy above. "We're all here." He looked around at the group unsure of exactly how many people had been sent to the plane of non-existence. "I think."

Sliding down the side of the crater Quill gracelessly stumbled forward and stared at the group. Drax slid down as well, but lost his balance and ended up rolling down the bottom half of the incline. Mantis practically hopped down like a little bunny while the tree creature stomped down like a pouting teenager.

"Hi." Quill awkwardly greeted. "Uh, you know Mantis and Drax," he pointed at Drax on the ground and Mantis behind him before he motioned to the tree creature. "this is Groot. He's also a Guardian of the Galaxy."

"I am Groot."

Peter waved a little at the tree creature. "I am Peter.

"I am Groot?"

Quill replied with an annoyed shake of the head. "More than one person can be named Peter. It's a big universe."

"I am Groot."

"I am NOT jealous!"

"I am Groot!"

"Whoa! Watch your mouth!" Quill scolded while Drax shook his disapprovingly and Mantis put her hands over her mouth in shock.

"Hey, okay!" Stephen stepped forward and pressed his straightened fingers into the center of his opposite palm to crate a 'T'. "Time out! Before we do anything or even THINK about doing anything, we have to know one thing: is this all of us?"

The group exchanged uncertain glances as they stood together on the barren moon.

"H-How do we know?" Peter wisely asked as the group stood together dumbfounded.

"I could take a look around?" Sam volunteered. "I don't have my wings but-"

"No," Stephen was against the idea. "we have no idea what this place is like and we can't chance getting separated from one another."

"So..." Wanda spoke up. "how do we know?"

"I guess we can't really say for sure." A masculine voice responded as he walked up from behind Stephen. The man in question had an arm composed entirely of metal and dark hair. "I think it's safe to say that there are a lot more people who fell victim to... whatever it was that Thanos freak did."

"Bucky." Sam nodded at the Winter Soldier. "Man, seems like you just can't catch a break!"

"Yeah, well," he looked around the group and shrugged his shoulders a little. "I've been through worse."

"I am Groot." Groot commented on the situation.

"Yeah," Quill nodded. "what he said!"

"Well, now what do we do?" Peter asked confusedly. "Send out a distress signal and hope for the best?"

"We don't." Yet another new voice replied. A male voice with his own unique accent replied as he walked up to the group from a direction opposite from where the Guardians had wandered. "I am T'Challa, King of Wakanda and the Black Panther."

"King T'Challa!" Wanda looked toward him in surprise. "You too?"

"Yes." He nodded as he joined his allies. "I am afraid that I could not avoid Thanos or his power. Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah." Sam confirmed. "A few cuts and bruises but we're all fine." Crossing his arms he gave T'Challa an odd glance. "How'd you find us?"

"I had a guide."

"A guide?" Sam questioned.

Stephen's brow furrowed curiously. "Who?"

"Me." Yet another new voice replied from just a few yards behind T'Challa.

"Loki." Stephen recognized him and stepped forward to put himself between Loki and Peter in a subconscious act of protection. "So Thanos' minion returned to his side."

"Never." Loki refuted as stepped closer. His complexion and his eyes were not that of his true Jotun form: pale blue skin and bright red eyes. Bruises around his throat was evidence of his recent encounter with Thanos being anything but violent. "That demented tyrant slaughtered my people, murdered my friend and threatened to murder Thor right before my eyes. Thanos is as much my enemy as he is yours." His red eyes scanned the group, gauging everyone's reaction to his presence as well as his words. "That is why I gathered you all here."

"You did this?" Stephen aggressively approached Loki.

"I did not bring you to this barren realm, if that is what you are accusing." Loki replied. "I merely located your arrival and brought you all together to this one location."

"C-Can you help us get back?" Peter asked in a stammering voice. "You know, to Earth?"

"That will be my attempt, yes."

"No." Stephen refused. "You're the God of Mischief, you're the God of Lies! A trickster! I have no reason to trust you."

"I'm not asking for trust." Loki replied calmly. "I am asking for your help."

"Our... help?"

"As you can see," Loki pulled down the collar of his armor to show his bruises to their full extent. "Thanos had done considerable damage to my person. I have not the strength to endure a second encounter with the mad tyrant. But I cannot remain idle and allow my brother to risk his life as he goes after Thanos. He is not strong enough to stop him, not alone."

T'Challa agreed with Loki entirely. "I have witnessed the power of Thanos firsthand. I have also witness Thor's own power and while it is impressive and could be comparable to that of Thanos, it will not be enough. We must all band together, regardless of our pasts and our past mistakes."

"You want us to side with Loki?" Stephen asked with utter bewilderment. "Why do you believe him? He led an attack against Earth on Thanos' behalf!"

"Because I have faith that all men are honorable and worthy of redemption." T'Challa turned to look at Loki over his shoulder, and Loki nodded in respectful appreciation to the wise King. "Thanos is not a man. He is a monster. And monsters must be stopped."

"Wait," Quill had an idea. "I know how we can solve this little 'trust issue' of ours. Mantis." He turned to the naive but well-meaning alien empath. "Do your thing!"

"My thing?" She asked sweetly. "What is my thing?"

"You know, your _thing_!" Quill clarified without actually clarifying.

The entire group stared at Quill with confused silence.

"Your mind-thing! Read Loki's mind!" He pointed to the god with tense finger. "Tell us what he is thinking!"

"Oh, that thing!" Mantis smiled while everyone else rolled their eyes. "Okay."

Loki just stared as Mantis approached him. She was a being that Loki had not encountered before and was uncertain of her skills. As she reached her hand out to touch Loki's forehead he gently grabbed her wrist and held her in place.

"I must warn you," Loki cautioned in a non-threatening manner. "my mind is full of regret and pain."

"I understand." Mantis reassured him as she prepared to read his mind. "Please?"

Loki nodded as he released her arm and closed his eyes. Mantis pressed her hand to his forehead and closed her eyes as well. Her two antennae on her own forehead lifted slightly as a warm glow emanated from the ends. She felt everything Loki felt; she could feel the sincerity of his request, the pain of losing his people, the fear of possibly losing his brother... All of the emotional scars from his lingering anger toward his Father, the physical pain from Thanos' attack...

Everything that Loki could feel Mantis could feel.

Gasping in shock she retracted her hand from his forehead and breathed deeply to steady her nerves and calm her overwhelmed emotions.

"Well?" Quill asked impatiently. "Is he a 'good witch or a bad witch'?"

Loki arched his brow at the metaphor. "Earth has witches as well as sorcerers?"

"Uh, I think Wanda sort of counts as a witch." Peter answered in a low voice. "But he's quoting a movie."

Stephen put his hand to head and sighed wearily at the idiotic conversation, while Wanda, Sam and T'Challa just smirked a little.

Mantis finally answered, enthusiastically at that. "I am willing to trust him." Mantis stated unexpectedly. "He is Thor's brother. When I touched Thor's mind I could feel the pain he felt when he believed that Loki was dead. I can sense the same pain coming from Loki. He is telling the truth about wanting to hurt Thanos and protect Thor."

"I saw we trust him." Sam voted confidently. "I've seen some pretty weird things ever since I joined the team, but something that isn't weird is seeing bad men do good things and good men do bad things. Right now all I see is a man trying to protect his family."

"Thank you." Loki was genuinely appreciative of the comment.

"I agree." T'Challa repeated his desire to trust Loki. "We cannot afford to dissuade any allies from joining our cause."

Peter walked up to Loki and stared at his blue face. "Well, if Loki is letting us see this side of him, you know the more, uh, monstrous form," he whispered discreetly to Loki again. "sorry, I couldn't think of another word!" he returned his attention to the other gathered allies. "then I think it's safe to say he isn't hiding anything. And if Mr. Stark were here I think he'd do the same."

Wanda was still doubtful. "But he once worked for Thanos. What is to prevent him from betraying us and favoring Thanos to save himself?"

Stephen was relieved to have Wanda sharing his same train of thought. "Thank you!"

"I was once considered the enemy." Bucky shook his head and flexed the palm of his metal hand. "I've been given a second chance, and a third." He relaxed his hand and looked over to Loki. "And if his own brother can forgive him then I say we give him a chance to prove he's worth that forgiveness."

Quill looked to Drax who nodded in an unspoken agreement. "Well, Mantis is never wrong when it comes to reading minds. If she says he can help us then I'm willing to give it a shot."

Drax finally added to the discussion. "And if Loki can lead me to Thanos so that I can finally kill the man who killed my family then I will trust him as well."

"I am Groot." Groot tagged on.

"Good point." Quill pointed at the tree. "Very good point..."

Stephen felt like he was about to go crazy. "What point? What did he even say?"

Mantis answered. "He said that on Earth the heroes who tried to stop them put up a good fight but they need help. He also said we are the best bet for aiding the heroes on Earth and taking Thanos down. Thor is our ally and needs our help."

Stephen stared at her blankly for a moment. "He said _all that_? In _three_ words? Three words that have _NOTHING_ to do with that overall statement?"

"Yes." Mantis replied with a sincere yet awkward smile. "Why do you ask?"

"Alright," Stephen looked up at the stars overhead and took in a deep breath and let it back out slowly to calm himself. "everyone has gone crazy. But I don't see any other way. Fine."

Wanda was still undecided but like Stephen she saw no other way. "Very well." She raised her hand and gave a display of her scarlet colored kinetic energy. "But if you make any move that could jeopardize us I will kill you."

Loki just smiled at her. "I wouldn't expect anything else."

Peter pointed at Wanda's hand and his eyes lit up. "That is SO cool! How did you-"

"So..." Stephen interrupted Peter loudly as he walked up to Loki with an angered look on his face. Despite his righteous mistrust toward Loki he knew that the god was their best and only choice for escaping the plane of non-existence and returning to Earth. "where do we begin?"

 _ **...to be continued...?**_

 **Author's Note:** A short summary of my theory as to how these particular Avengers can, and will, return to Earth and taken down Thanos as one massive team!


End file.
